March 2, 1903.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
Gil 
cacao. We should also be grateful for any protection 
against 'receivers' which the Government may be 
disposed to grant." 
Your committee is of opinion that the cultivation of 
Para rubber and coconuts, as beiug valuable ai'jaiicts 
to that nf cocoa, can be largely extended in thi3 dis- 
trict. The growth of Castilloa rubber in Matale is 
also very satisfactory. 
The unlicensed sale of toddy in this district conti- 
nues almost unchecked and causes a deplorable amount 
of drunkenness amongst our coolies, and is a consiant 
incentive to theft of produce from the estates. The 
A G A of Mata e recognises the evil in the last Admin- 
istraiion Report of Ihe Central Province and remarks 
"I have no reason to believe that offences of this kind 
could be put down except by fresh legislation." 
Eailway. — Your (Jommittee wishes to thank the 
General Manager for the alteration of the afternoon 
train, so as to give an additional train to Colombo 
in the day. A serious wasbaway occurred on the 
Matale line in November last, and caused great in- 
convenience by the stoppage of traffic. Your Association 
addressed Government on the subject with the 
result that the aeiial railway lately in use at the Boer 
Camp will probably be acquired by Government for 
use on such occasions. Your Committee also hope 
to see an tmergency gang of coolies under skilled 
supervision, formed by the Railway authorities, to 
take slips and washaways in hand directly they occur. 
In accordance with the request ol this Association 
a Goi'ds Shed has been erected at Ukuwela. 
Post Office. — Your Aaso:iation addressed the other 
Associations of the island on the subject of the ex- 
tension of hi'Urs for postal money order business 
and received an encouraging amount of support. 
Labour. — Sinhalese are largely employed in the 
district, and wheie they are available it may be 
said to bo fairly well supplied with labour, but the 
supply of Tamil labour is insufficient. Difficulties 
between kaugauies and superintendents, or between 
superintendents, are happily few and far between 
in Matale, so that the labour Federation does not 
receive the attention that might otherwise be the 
case. 
The C M I AND THE 0 P R C are well supported 
in Matale, the number being U for the former and 
24 for the latter, and efficients are : C M I 11 and 
C P R C 19. 
Tea. — Extensions both in India and Ceylon are 
very limited, and consumption is increasing in every 
country. The American demand for our greens is 
highly encouraging, and the rapid increase in the con- 
sumption of our teas in Russia is a most promising 
nature. The industry appears to be on a sounder foot- 
ing than it has been tor years The jield for 1902 has 
been somewhat larger than last year, on most estates, 
owing to the very f?.vourabie weather during the early 
part <if the year, and the falling cS in yield during the 
last quarter was owing to the continued wet weather, 
and there has been no serious drought or pest in the 
district during the year under review. The rainfall on 
one estate which might be taken as typical, was at the 
end of August, only 3'90 inches ahead of last year, but 
at the end of December was 34 92 inches in advance of 
1901. Manuring has perhaps been done to about the 
same extent as last season, with bent ficial results, but 
it is to be hoped that this will not be overdone, with 
the tempting prices now ruling for our teas. The 
stylo of plucking in vogue on most estates in 1901, has 
been generally adhered to during the past year, and 
will, we hope, be continued, t'rices ruled very low for 
the first nine months, but took a welcome turn upwards 
during the last quarter, and the yi ar closed with 
fairly good prices, and good prospects for the new year, 
should the output be kept within reasonable limits. 
Very little green lea has been made in the district, 
and we are of opinion that the increase in the tea cesg 
will be very beneficial to Matale. 
The comparative figures for the year under review, 
and for 1903 are as follows ; — 
■ or c3 
?> EH 
tic 
5 M-S 
.2 g S 
a a 
1902 
19,506 17,345 2,221 7,013,215 No 
returns. 
1903 19,459?, 18,403 l,056i 8,362,575 148,000 
Increase — " 1,053 — 749,300 — 
Decrease 160i — 1,16-lJ — — 
a 
' -♦^ o3 C3 
1902 7,613,215 418 79 no return 407 
1903 8,214,575 454 80 61,750 330 
Increase 601,360 36 1 ,— _ 
Decrease — — — — 77 
Cocoa. — The agricultural position has improved in 
the district during the past year, and it is note- 
worthy that those estates whit-h suffered first from 
canker and disease, are now better than they have 
been before. Those that were attacked late, are re- 
covering, whilst =ome estates which have only recently 
been attacked, have their struggle before them. If; 
is satisfactory to know from our experience, that 
this struggle will in all probability be successful. 
Speaking generally Forastero has maintained a com- 
parative immunity from disease, and it is probable 
that as the acreage of red cocoa decreases this 
immunity will be more marked, as lees disease will 
be harboured on estates, and hybridisation with 
the weaker varieiy will not be so frequent. It 
will be seen, theiefore, that a constant im- 
portation of a fresh stock of plants from the West 
Indies, ai d elsewhere, is very important to 
maintain the strength necessary to resist disease 
amongst car trees. At the representation of the 
Cocoa Committee, Government has arranged for 
a fref-h importation of plants, but this should be made 
an annual occurrence, so that later on a fresh and 
healthy supply of seed could be always available 
The past year promised to bo a record one, aa 
regards crop in Matale, and although probably more 
cocoa has been sent away last year than ever before, 
the Autumn crop has been a disappointment on 
some estates. This is entirely owing to unfavourable 
weather in the North-Easc Monsoon. Considerably 
more rain fell in October, November and December 
than in the preceding nine months of the year, and 
the consequence was a recrudescence of canker, espe- 
cially amongst the pods, by which the crop suffered 
very seriously, both in quantity and quality. Prices 
have been better during the past year, and a satis- 
factory point is that our Forastero Cocoa is now 
going readily in consumption in England. Also it is 
to be noted that a considerable quantity, cwt. 8,641 
was shipped East from Colombo, thereby giving our 
produce another outlet and taking what is piotiabiy 
inferior cocoa off the home market. The acreage of 
European, cocoa estates in Matale is as nearly as can 
be -ascertained 8,4G5 acres, of which 7,000 are in 
bearing — that of native owned cocoa is given by the 
A, G. A., Matale, at 2,250 acres. This is not supposed 
to be more than approximately correct, and having 
been estimated by headmen, whose ideas of area are 
vague, is probably exaggerated. The native cocoa ia 
younger than that on estates, so that even accepting 
the above as correct, it is a liberal estimate to take 
1,500 acres as in btaring. The Railway returns have 
unfortunately not yet been received in a complete 
form, but such figures as are available point to an 
average yield of 2 cwt per acre. Cwt 1,137 were sold 
to natives by Europeans. Cocoa stealing has been 
fully dealt with elsewhere, and it is sufficient to point 
out that the legislation, which the A. G. A, of th§ 
